Mindblowing – that is how I would sum up Derren Brown’s Infamous. Please forgive the cliché, but there really is no other way to describe the way he turns initial scepticism into astounded disbelief in just a few short hours.
Infamous is the latest brainchild of the world famous illusionist and psychological trickster. It began last year, now the tour is coming into its final stages. It runs in Aberdeen until Saturday before playing Glasgow and London.
His Majesty’s Theatre is the ideal Aberdeen venue to hold the show, packing in just the right amount of space and atmosphere needed for a performance that delves deeply into the mind. A 1,400-stong crowd packed the theatre last night, but you could have heard a pin drop when the house lights dimmed.
Starting the show with a short monologue, it was immediately obvious Mr Brown had spurned the extravagance of his previous shows in favour of a more personal theme.
Anecdotes from his childhood, and a few home truths about the way we all think, are weaved seamlessly between psychological illusions.
Audience participation is always a must, and Mr Brown had no shortage of volunteers wishing to be amazed in front of the crowd. With illusions targeted at both individuals and the audience as a whole, even those not brave enough to step up on stage were able to take part.
The illusions were obviously a key part of the show, but what completed the experience for me was the charisma and quiet authority Mr Brown commanded. He walked a fine line between mysterious and humorous. The two and a half hour show seemed over too quickly. As for the finale, I can see myself, days from now, still questioning how it was done.